1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a balloon-shaped structure driving apparatus used for driving a balloon-shaped structure, for example, such as a balloon robot and a discharge/suction selector valve device used for the balloon-shaped structure driving apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a balloon-shaped structure in a shape of a character or an animal is produced and used for a purpose of advertisement, ornament, or the like.
An outside shape portion of the balloon-shaped structure is formed by sewing by using cloth, a film, and the like, the structure is inflated by sending air through an air hole into the structure by using an air blower and the like, and a predetermined outside shape is maintained by continuing air blowing.
A balloon-shaped structure in a shape of a doll is proposed in which arm portions are movable so as to cause hands of the doll to wave to enhance advertising effect, for example.
In order to move a portion of the balloon-shaped structure, one end of rope is fixed to a predetermined portion of an inside of the structure, the other end of the rope is connected to a driving apparatus such as a motor and an air cylinder, and the rope is pulled. In this case, the driving apparatus is disposed outside the structure and the rope is pulled into the driving apparatus through the inside of the balloon-shaped structure.
However, in the above prior-art balloon-shaped structure, because the rope is pulled while air is injected from the air blower to push an outer wall face outward, large pulling force is required. Moreover, unnecessary movement such as movement of the whole structure is caused.
Therefore, a method in which a structure resistant to high pressure is disposed inside the balloon-shaped structure and the rope is routed through a pulley or the like by using the structure as a pedestal is devised. In this case, however, it is necessary to make the structure tough or to provide a complicated mechanism to stably obtain desirable movement.
As a result, manufacturing cost is increased especially in a case of a large balloon-shaped structure and weight of the structure is increased such that the structure is difficult to move.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a balloon-shaped structure driving apparatus by which portions of a balloon-shaped structure can be caused to move easily and reliably and weight and cost can be reduced and a discharge/suction selector valve device used for the balloon-shaped structure driving apparatus.
To achieve the above object, according to the invention described in claim 1, there is provided a balloon-shaped structure driving apparatus for a balloon-shaped structure having a portion which can be bent, wherein the balloon-shaped structure driving apparatus comprises a displacing member displaced by supplying or drawing of gas, a gas discharge/suction device for supplying or drawing the gas to and from the displacing member, a discharge/suction selector valve device for switching between supplying and drawing of the gas to and from the gas discharge/suction device, and a control portion for controlling at least the gas discharge/suction device and the discharge/suction selector valve device and a portion of the balloon-shaped structure is displaced by supplying the gas from the gas discharge/suction device or drawing the gas into the gas discharge/suction device by switching of the discharge/suction selector valve device to displace the displacing member and causing the displacement to act on a predetermined portion.
To achieve the above object, according to the invention described in claim 2, there is provided a balloon-shaped structure driving apparatus for bending a balloon-shaped structure at a portion which can be bent, an outline of the balloon-shaped structure being formed by filling pressurized gas into an inside and the balloon-shaped structure having the portion which can be bent in a state in which the outline is formed, wherein the balloon-shaped structure driving apparatus comprises a pump device having a discharge hole for discharging gas and a suction hole for drawing the gas, an actuator disposed inside the balloon-shaped structure and having a body portion which can be expanded and contracted and which is expanded and contracted when the gas flows into and out of the actuator through a flowing hole to change volume of the actuator, and a discharge/suction selector valve device having a valve main body including a partition which can be displaced inside the valve main body, a first flowing hole connected to the discharge hole and for flowing in of the gas, a second flowing hole connected to the suction hole and for flowing out of the gas, a third flowing hole connected to the flowing hole and for flowing in and out of the gas, and a fourth flowing hole which is open for flowing in and out of the gas being provided to predetermined portions of the valve main body, the partition being disposed in any one of a first disposition state for connecting the first flowing hole and the second flowing hole, a second disposition state for connecting the first flowing hole and the third flowing hole and for connecting the second flowing hole and the fourth flowing hole, and a third disposition state for connecting the second flowing hole and the third flowing hole and for connecting the first flowing hole and the fourth flowing hole, a movable portion of the actuator is connected to a predetermined acting portion inside the balloon-shaped structure, and the predetermined portion which can be bent is bent when movement of the movable portion is transmitted to the acting portion.
To achieve the above object, according to the invention described in claim 3, there is provided a balloon-shaped structure driving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein pressure of the pressurized gas is controlled such that the pressure is reduced by a predetermined value when the actuator is operating and the predetermined portion which can be bent is bent.
To achieve the above object, according to the invention described in claim 4, there is provided a balloon-shaped structure driving apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the discharge hole and the first flowing hole, the suction hole and the second flowing hole, and the flowing hole of the actuator and the third flowing hole are respectively connected by pipes having flexibility.
To achieve the above object, according to the invention described in claim 5, there is provided a balloon-shaped structure driving apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the actuator is supported by an inside structure which is provided inside the balloon-shaped structure, an outline of which is formed by filling pressurized gas into an inside of the inside structure, and predetermined strength of which is maintained at a hull portion.
To achieve the above object, according to the invention described in claim 6, there is provided a discharge/suction selector valve device used for a balloon-shaped structure driving apparatus for bending a balloon-shaped structure at a portion which can be bent by an actuator using gas pressure as driving force, an outline of the balloon- shaped structure being formed by filling pressurized gas into an inside, the balloon-shaped structure having the portion which can be bent in a state in which the outline is formed, and the discharge/suction selector valve device being connected to the actuator and switching between flowing in and out of the gas for driving, wherein the discharge/suction selector valve device has a valve main body including a partition which can be displaced inside the valve main body, a first flowing hole into which the gas flows from a pump device, a second flowing hole from which the gas flows out toward the pump device, a third flowing hole connected to the actuator, and a fourth flowing hole which is open are provided to predetermined portions of the valve main body, the partition is disposed in any one of a first disposition state for connecting the first flowing hole and the second flowing hole, a second disposition state for connecting the first flowing hole and the third flowing hole and for connecting the second flowing hole and the fourth flowing hole, and a third disposition state for connecting the second flowing hole and the third flowing hole and for connecting the first flowing hole and the fourth flowing hole.
To achieve the above object, according to the invention described in claim 7, there is provided a discharge/suction selector valve device according to claim 6 and used for the balloon-shaped structure driving apparatus, wherein the valve body has a substantially circular sectional shape, the first, second, and third flowing holes are provided to a wall portion of the valve body, and the partition is brought into any one of the first, second, and third disposition states by rotating about a substantially central shaft of the valve main body.